


Because Somebody Fucking Has To

by solocup_exe



Series: When the Campfire Burns Out((camp camp)) [1]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Neglect, Could Be Canon, David & Gwen Adopt Max (Camp Camp), David Acting as Max's (Camp Camp) Parental Figure, F/M, Gwen Acting As Max's (Camp Camp) Parental Figure, Max's (Camp Camp) Parents Are Bad Parents, Not Beta Read, There's A Tag For That, Verbal Abuse, and I love it, sorta? i mean it could happen in canon, they yell at him but its mean stuff so im gunna tag it anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 16:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solocup_exe/pseuds/solocup_exe
Summary: Max didn't expect his parents to come on parents day, why would they bother, but he had thought for sure, if not hoped, that his mother and father would come to pick him up on the last day of camp. After all, if they didn't come, where would he go? Fortunately, or maybe not really, his parents do come, they're just a little late. But maybe a little means too late, at least in Gwen and David’s eyes…





	Because Somebody Fucking Has To

**Author's Note:**

> 2 inches = roughly 5 centimeters, in case anyone uses the metric system

It was the end of camp, and most the campers had already gone home, the only remaining being Neil, Nikki, and Max, David supervising from a small distance away, a clipboard with all the campers sign out forms held in it in hand. The three of them could be found sitting on the grass next to the famous Camp Campbell sign, the ‘bell’ so faded it simply looked like Camp Camp. Max sat quietly, listening to his friends as they chattered about what they would do when they got home. He would think of them when he was home in his room, simply sitting in bed. He would think about how Nikki was most likely to be feeling sick, the city she lived in being too much for her, but not enough at the same time, and how she would be wishing she was in the outdoors, the  _ real _ outdoors, as she called the woods. He would think about how Neil was sure to be sitting at the desk/laboratory he was talking about so much right now, finally in a real science lab, one he had been disappointed he was lacking on the first day at stupid Camp Campbell. But for sure, Max would think about how he wished he was with them, even if he wouldn't understand their interests, he never came to, even with the whole summer together.

“Max!” Nikki screamed in his ear, finally pulling him out of his head. He looked around and realized that both Nikki and Neil had grabbed their bags, meaning they were both leaving. A little more observation of the situation lended that they were not just both leaving right now, but that they were leaving together, as both Nikki’s mother and Neil’s dad were standing next to each other, hands holding each other, by the only car in the road.

“We thought we lost you for a second,” Neil laughed, before handing him a slip of paper with a smile, “me and Nikki put our numbers and address down, so you can contact us when you get home.”

“Address? It’s  _ addresses  _ Neil, I thought our resident wizkid would know that.” Max attempted a smirk, but he could tell it was weighted by how disappointed he was that they had to leave so soon, though he was grateful for their information.

“Nah… it’s address now, our parents moved in together, and are planning on marrying.” to be fair, Neil didn't look to excited.

“That'll be a shit-show if I ever seen one, gotta phone me when it happens… or falls out, whichever comes first.”

“Yeah. I promise. Bye, Max.” and with that, Neil headed to the car, and Nikki rammed Max with a hug. 

“You better call or text every day, morning, lunch, and dinner!” Nikki said, muffled by both his hoodie, which she was burying her head in, and her tears, though they were small.

“Yeah, I will, only if you do the same… or whatever.” Max chose to not bring up how morning and Lunch and dinner were two different types of time telling. It was too bittersweet for him to be negative right now.

They stayed there, hugging like they'd never see each other again, and honestly, Nikki might've thought that, only separating when Nikki’s mom Candy yelled for her to ‘hurry her little butt up.’

“Bye Max.” Nikki said tearfully, reluctant to let go.

“Bye Nikki.”

As soon as the car pulled away, it wasn't bittersweet anymore, it was just bitter. It was just Max and David, and as they looked at each other from a few feet away, a single thought was shared.

_ Are they even coming? _

Slowly but surely the sun went down, until it was nearly time for David and Gwen to retire until next summer, and Max was still there. Soon enough, Gwen pulled up in a car that struck Max as odd, since it wasn't his parents, or the beat up camp car. Were they together? It would make sense with how much of David’s shit she seemed to deal with.

“David, it’s time we head ho- Max? What’re you doin’ here little shit?” Gwen got out of the car, her hair down and dresses in casual clothes. She headed their way, confusion written on her face. When she arrived, David finally cracked.

David began to get sad, then angry, then sad and angry at the same time.

“They didn't come! What kind of parents don't come get their kid! I swear when I finally see those two pieces of sh-” David was cut off by a blinding light, one that only come from the headlights of a car. They hadn't heard it pull up, most likely due to Gwen having also pulled up, and David’s sudden yelling. When David realised it must be Max’s parents, he was seething with anger, his little nugget eyebrows turned down drastically, something Max had never seen before. “Finally they show up.”

“Max! Get in the car, we have things to do!” a voice yelled from inside the vehicle, obviously too lazy to actually get out.

“Excuse me, but we actually have both papers you need to sign, and somethings to discuss, so if you could please come out here? That’d be great.” David called, his tone dripping with contempt, despite not having even met the people in the car yet.

“David!” Max whisper-yelled, pulling on his pant leg lightly, trying to get his attention as the doors to the car opened and closed.

The gravel crunched as two pairs of feet made their way over to Gwen, David, and Max. The male set leading up to a tall enough man, about two inches taller than David. The woman short, nearly two heads beneath Gwen. Just from appearance, you could tell they were Max’s parents, from how they seemed to be looking at him, or not looking at him, though, you might've thought they were strangers who just happened to look the same.

The man sighed before holding out his hand, expectant. “Let’s just get this over with. What do we have to sign, anyways?”

“Well, sir, you need to sign here and here to show that you showed up and that you have come to pick your son up, and then here that you won’t sue us, and finally here that you are satisfied with our camp.”

The man grumbled, but did as David asked. He signed all the forms, then grabbed Max by the shoulder, muttering about how much of a ‘waste of time this was’.

“Actually sir!” David stopped him, making him turn back around, his wife who had already started heading back getting in the car anyways, she didn't need to be there anyways, not like it mattered. “We still need to discuss some things… concerning Max.”

“What did you do now?” Max’s father’s grip tightened to the point where Max was wincing, but seeing as he was clearly trying to suppress it, it most likely hurt more than he was letting on. “We sent you here to finally get you off our backs and get a break from you, but apparently even when you’re not here we have to deal with your shit! Why can’t you just behave for once!” Max winced from how loud his father was yelling, but not from how much the words stung, definitely not.

“Sir! I ask you to please let go of Max, you are clearly holding him too tight.”  David said at the same time that Gwen yelled “Hey! Get your hands off him!”

“You tryin to tell me how to raise my own kid? It’s people like you that allow kids like this,” he shoved Max in front of him to show who he meant, despite it not being able to be anyone else, all the others had left with their parents hours ago, “to go unpunished.”

“And it’s people like you that shove kids in a bus and make ‘em go to some summer ca-” Max started, before being cut off by his father yelling at him.

“Don't you talk to me like that. Me and your mother put you on this earth, we can take you off, too.”

“Ooh, threatening me again, are you? Why don't you then? Being at home sucks anyway, and since I can't stay here, where they at least  _ pretend _ to care about me, it'd be better if you just put me out my misery,  _ dear ol’ Dad _ .” Max sassed to his father, fully knowing he would get punished later, probably grounding, or going to bed without food, nothing serious.

“You wanna stay here so much? Why don't you ask your nice counselors here if they want you? Oh that’s right, no one wants you. But I’m sure you can ask?” Max’s father smirked down at his son, nudging him in the direction of David and Gwen before crossing his arms in what he thought was victory over his son.

Before Max could even open his mouth, most likely to spout some curse riddled comment about how they sucked less than his dad, David had started, and wouldn't be stopped.

“Actually, if it’s ok with you, and hell, even if it’s not, me and Gwen would love to keep Max here, or at least with us, seeing as you are unfit to be a parent, especially to an amazing kid like him.” David smiled, but when he opened his eyes, they were full of hate and malice. “Since, to be frank, you suck.”

“Yeah, even you don't want him, we do. He’s our little shit.” Gwen pulled Max closer, holding his hand in hers. And when she said ‘little shit’ it felt like something so much better than an insult. It felt like something he could come home to, something he could hold onto, something he wanted.

“Really? You’d deal with a million calls from the school about how he’s such a problem child, because that's all he really is?”

“Any day of the week. And, ya know, most of the time kids only tend to act out when they aren't being cared for properly, so that should tell you something.”

Max’s father scoffed, before laughing and walking away. He got in the car, and as they drove off, yelled out the side that he had ‘hope’ that they ‘have fun with their new problem to deal with.’

“David? Gwen? Are you guys really gonna take me?” Max asked, holding Gwen's hand like she would yank it away.

“Of course, we told him, and we’ll tell you, every day until you believe it,  _ we want you _ max, and we always will.” David smiled down at him, before sinking down on his toes so he was at eye level with Max, Gwen doing the same soon enough.  

Max couldn't resist, and he for once felt like he didn't have to, so he hugged his new guardians, maybe even his new parents.

Later in the car, when he thought it was safe to ask, Max would quietly ask why David and Gwen cared, and just as quietly, David would answer, “because you’re an amazing kid Max, you're smart, you're kind, you're fun, and so much more. So really, it's because, well… because somebody fucking has to.”

And that, well that made many things come to mind, like the bonfire over the admittedly racist tradition of Camp Campbell, of the way David had gotten truly angry at him for the first time, how he had found himself confused as to why he actually felt bad, and now, how he finally had people who cared about him.

“Thanks, David.”

“You're welcome, Max.”

“I swear if you live in a cabin I'm joining the circus though.”

“Ok max.’’

“Don't test me, Camp Man! I’ll do it!”

The laughs of the new family could be heard all the way into to night.


End file.
